The Arts Council has decided on next year's funding for circus, opera and the traditional arts in advance of its main revenue funding decisions in mid-January.
The council has just announced almost €10 million in funding to 23 organisations in what it sees as key areas, as well as to local authorities, which is earlier than when it had planned to make these decisions.
By the October 20th deadline, 401 funding applications had arrived at the Arts Council and it has now made a selection of initial funding offers, including to 34 local authorities and Ealaín na Gaeltachta.
Circus funding is €230,000 for 2007, an increase of €100,000 on what was provided last year, opera organisations have been offered €3.78 million, an increase of €660,000, and traditional arts organisations have been offered €1.87 million, €697,500 more than last year; that €1.87 million is part of overall spending of €4 million in the second of a three-year development programme for the traditional arts.
Local authorities have been offered €3,374,000, an increase of €451,900 on last year, with specific support for children and young people.
Arts Council director Mary Cloake said yesterday that the council had looked at applications from all organisations at the same time to make overall budgetary decisions, then decided they could make some of their funding decisions earlier than planned.
These decisions would not affect funding for other areas, which would not be finalised until January: "There is no particular advantage to being notified earlier from a budgetary point of view," she said.
Down the line the council plans to change the timing of funding decisions from this year so that every arts organisation will know about its grant for 2008 before Christmas 2007, and some of them will know their level of funding much earlier in 2007, Ms Cloake said.
For 2007 funding, all remaining decisions under revenue funding were expected to be made in mid January 2007 and applicants would be told about the grants shortly afterwards.
Olive Braiden, chair of the Arts Council said: "Taking decisions a little earlier in a number of key areas will help these organisations as they plan their activities for 2007. From a policy perspective, circus, opera and the traditional arts represent current priority areas for the Arts Council and this is reflected in the significant increases in levels of funding support that has been offered through revenue funding."
CIRCUSES
Circus Gerbola €45,000
Duffy's Circus €57,500
Fidget Feet €57,500
Fossett Brothers Circus €57,500
Galway Circus Project €12,500
TOTAL ... €230,000
OPERA
Cork Opera Works €13,000
Lyric Opera Productions €25,000
Opera 2005 €102,000
Opera Ireland €1,700,000
Opera Theatre Company €798,000
Wexford Festival Opera €150,000
TOTAL ... €3,788,000
TRADITIONAL ARTS
Cairde Rince Céili na hÉireann €30,000
Cairdeas na bhFidleiri €24,800
Irish Traditional Music Archive €€610,000
Na Píobairí Uilleann Teoranta €360,000
Glór - Irish Music Centre €100,000
Ionad Cultúrtha €30,000
Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre €75,000
Siamsa Tire €440,000
Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy €57,750
Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy €80,000
Sligo Musicfest €20,000
Tionscnamh Lugh €40,750
TOTAL ... €1,868,300
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Carlow CC €110,000
Cavan CC €90,000
Clare CC €115,000
Cork CC€90,000
Cork CC €115,000
Donegal CC €115,000
Dublin CC€50,000
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown CC €120,000
Ealaín na Gaeltachta Teoranta €490,000
Fingal CC €15,000
Galway CC€35,000
Galway CC €90,000
Kerry CC €50,000
Kildare CC €80,000
Kilkenny CC €85,000
Laois CC €100,000
Leitrim CC €115,000
Limerick CC€69,000
Limerick CC €95,000
Longford CC €50,000
Louth CC €105,000
Mayo CC €125,000
Meath CC €65,000
Monaghan CC €105,500
North Tipperary CC €105,000
Offaly CC €70,000
Roscommon CC €80,000
Sligo CC €135,000
South Dublin CC €70,000
Waterford CC€70,000
Waterford CC €66,500
Westmeath CC €83,000
Wexford CC €140,000
Wicklow CC €75,000
TOTAL ... €3,374,000